Twickenham the incentive for Counties
This season's Bill Beaumont Cup gets under way tomorrow with Eastern Counties travelling to Coventry to play Warwickshire in division two of the county championship shield (kick-off 3pm) - with a Twickenham appearance on May 29 the incentive for the group winners.
This season's Bill Beaumont Cup gets under way tomorrow with Eastern Counties travelling to Coventry to play Warwickshire in division two of the county championship shield (kick-off 3pm) - with a Twickenham appearance on May 29 the incentive for the group winners.
Players from the three counties, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, make up the team and the size of the catchment area makes life difficult for manager Ian Forton.
Players from Cambridge, Shelford, Bury St Edmunds, North Walsham and Diss are likely to make up the bulk of the side.
But some players from lower down the league structure could also be represented as Luke Wade (Beccles) and Chris Brown (Wymondham) have been asked to attend while it is hoped that former Walsham front row star Des Brett will make his annual return from Blackheath to make an appearance.
You may also want to watch:
Warwickshire have a much tighter player base and also have the advantage of having already played two warm-up fixtures.
A new feature this season is the experimental introduction of 'rolling subs, with each team allowed 12 changes, including any blood replacements.
Most Read
- 1 Londoners fined for travelling to stay at second home in Norfolk
- 2 Norfolk wakes up to snow with more expected to fall
- 3 Drivers face non-essential travel fines after spate of snow crashes
- 4 Covid case rates continue to fall across Norfolk and Waveney
- 5 Voyeur watched people after setting up secret cameras in bathroom
- 6 Are you in our Norfolk school photos from the 1970s?
- 7 Government must step in to help 'desperate' Norwich hospital, says MP
- 8 Woman in 60s suffers serious injuries after car crashes into ditch
- 9 Photo gallery: Snow turns region into winter wonderland
- 10 Man in 20s dies and three hurt as Audi crashes into wall
The experiment follows the 'Bloodgate' scandal, when Harlequins wing Tom Williams went off with a fake blood injury to allow kicker Nick Evans to come back on to the field in order to secure a vital win.
Should it prove successful, it may be adopted at top level.